Front-driven motor-vehicle.



PATBNTED APR. 21, 1908.

A. W. BRIGHTMORB.

FRONT DRIVEN MOTOR VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 27, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

v PATENTED APR. 21, 1908. A. W. BRIGHTMORE. FRONT DRIVEN MUTOB. VEHICLE.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 27, 1906.

, 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2'.-

tt est:

No. V885,014.

UNITED sTATEs PnTENT oEEIoE.

ARTHUR W. BRIGHTMORE, OF BURFORD, GHAM, ENGLAND.

- l FRONT-DRIVEN MOTOR-VEHICLE.

Specic'aton of,Letters iliatent'.y

ratensednprilal, 1908.

To all 'whom 'it lmayl concern: Be it known that-I, ARTHUR WILLIAM BRIGHTMORE, doctor of science, a subject'of the'MKing of Great Britain and Ireland, resid-' ing at Burford, Egham, inv the' county of Surrey, England, have invented certainv new and useful Improvements in Front-Driven Motor Road-Vehicles, of whichv the following is a specification. This invention relates to motor road vehicles in -which the motor and driving gear are mounted in a self-contained manner upon a forecarriage pivotally connected by a ball and socket joint to the main frame of the vehicle which is in addition supported on the rear wheels,` the orecarriage bemg ,maintained p'arallel to the main frame longitudir' nally by aslider or runner pivotally connected to the back of the forecarriage on a horizontal axis in the same vertical plane as the longitudinal axis of theforecarriage, the slider working on a circular track or raceway attached to the main frame of the vehicle.

In the previous forms' of motor vehicle ofy this type steering was effected by varying the relative velocities of the two front road wheels by aptpling brakes to brake drums on' v either side o t required for steering being ltaken from the e diierentialv gear, the power motor.l Y

One object of the present invention is to l' l still utilize the power of the motor or of an i the motor and pinion to ena auxiliar motor to eect the steering but; to accom ish `the steering by' a more positlve metho than that hitherto adopted so as to vrender the steering less affected by the varying road resistance and at the same timev to leave the two axles free to move 1n vertical planes absolutely vndependently of `each other. This is accomplis ed according to the present invention by providing teeth on the circular'track mounted on the mainframe,l

and adapting al pinion (carriedxl the slider) driven by the motor or an au fary motor, to mesh therewith; a suitable clutch `and controlling gear being 'inteosed'between le; the steering to be effected as .desiredI As the result of experiments with .front driven vehicles it is found that some formof clutch betwee'n the forecarriage and the main frame of the vehicle is necessary in order to revent the direction of the vehicle, particuarly at slow speeds, being altered by obsta- *I cles on` the ioad, Aor bythe occurrence of materia wheel than under the other.

softer places on the road-.under oneI l have discovered and conrmed by ex- `lar position because* horizontal vibration of the forecarriage, particularly when traveling over rough sets, is caused, owing to the irregularities of the road tending to cause lthe portion of the clutch carried by the forecarrlage to have a horizontal motionrelative to the ort-ion of the clutch carried by the main trame, due to the two axles not always lying in the same plane.

The one osition thepivot pm attaching the slider to the forecarriage, which involves there being no appreciable tendency to relative motion between the slider and segmental track due to varying inclination in vertical 'planes of the two axles is at a height e ual to that of the center of the ball and soc et joint-between the forecarriave andthe main frame, when the vehicle is loaded, multiplied bythe ratio of the horizontal distance of the ivot pin (in its central position) from the back axle to the horizontal distance'between the axles; and thehei ht ofthe pivot pin must not differ illy from this amount. In other words the .neutral point has the same motion, due to alterations in the vertical 'incli- (the neutral position) of nation of the 'two axles, whether considered the s'pur pinion, but the worm-wheel cannot drive the worm, therefore any obstacle on the road 'cannot 'twist the vehicle. Thus the lworm and worm wheel constitute a clutch,

for without rotation of the worm the spur wheel on the same s indle as the worm wheel cannot rotate and t erefore cannot travel on the segmental track, -consequently there can be no motion between the slider, .which carries the spur wheel, and the segmental track.

Thus, when steering is not takin place, the slider becomes in eect part o the main frame. As the position o the pivot pin at.-

inclination of the axles, it is obvious that any tendency to relative motion between the slider and segmental track due to irregularities of the road, is avoided.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, Figure is a sectional elevation of the forecarriage of a front driven motor vehicle. Fig. 2 being a'plan; Figs. 3 and 4 are diagrammatic front and plan views illustrating the relation between the heights of the slider pivot pin and the ball and socket pivot of the forecarriage and the distances between the pivot pin and axles.

In carrying the invention into effect according to one mode, the motor, a, any suit-v able change speed gear, '1), and differential gear, c, are mounted upon the frame, d, of the forecarriage which is pivoted to the main frame, e, by a ball and socket joint, f.

A segmental race or track, g, is fitted on the main frame, e, of the vehicle and a slider, h, is adapted to slide therein, the slider being iprivoted on a horizontal pivot pin, i, on the aine, d, of the forecarriage. A segmental rack, k, is formed on the segment race, g, and

a pinionfl, is adapted to mesh therewith the pinion being mounted on a vertical shaft m, carried by the slider, h. The pinion, Z, is driven from the motor, a, as hereinafter described in one direction or the other so as to eect the steering.

The motor, @,'is connected by a universal coupling to one member of a clutch, n, ada ted to engage another member capable of s ding on a key on a sleeve, o, having a Worin, p, driving a worm Wheel, g, on the shaft, r, of any suitable type of change speed gear, b, the latter driving the road wheels through the differential gear, c. The shaft, r, is connected by radius rods, s, to the front axle to maintain the wheels in mesh notwithstanding the working of the springs. The shaft, 4, isy also formed or fitted With a member, t, of a clutch ada ted to-drive by friction a wheel, u, norma y running loose on a sleeve, v, connected With or integral with a worm, w. The wheel, u, is capable of beinglclutched to the sleeve, '0, by a jaw, slidin on a key on v, or other clutch, so as to rive the sleeve in one direction; or of being' allowed to run free driving a wheel, y, rotating freely on v through wheels, z, in the reverse direction the latter Wheel being similarly capable of being clutched to the sleeve, c, by the same clutch.

Thus b suitable mani ulation of the clutch, the s eeve may be le t stationary or run in either direction as desired. The sleeve drives the pinion l, throu h the Worin, fw, and a Worm Wheel 2, mounte on a vertical shaft, 3, connected by a universal coupling to the pinion shaft, rm. The shaft, 3, and the pinion shaft, m, thus rotate together, as one spindle, but have a universal joint opposite the pivot pin, t'. The steering may t us be positively 'effected by suitab e manipulation of the clutch, a', and the worm, lw, and worm wheel 2, form a clutch between the forecarriage and race or niain frame of the vehicle.

It is to be understood that any other suitable forin of clutch may be used instead of the jaw clutch for effecting the steering; and other forin of reversing the direction of turning the forecarriage instead of the bevel wheels, u, y, .2.

The slider h may be assumed as a part of the main frame of the vehicle whatever its position on' the circular segment may be whenever the foiecarriage is not being rotated relatively to the main frame for steering purposes. Assume therefore that the slider is fixed relatively to the main frame. If then one of the front wheels mounts an obstacle (or the other falls into a depression) the front axle moves in a plane at right angles to the pin i., and the ball f is moved through a distance ff. (See Figs. 3 and 4). The pin ,as part of the forecairiagb is moved part of the main frame is moved a distance a distance equal to f The pin t' as .7L rear wheels. Since the pin 'i is relatively at rest because it moves the saine distance as part of the forecarriage Aand as part of the mainframe and the resultant effect of the front wheel mounting the obstacle is a rotation of the forecarriage in ,the vertical plane of the front axle about i, (plus the translation of that point).

In brief what is required is a position for the pin 'i in which-the movement it derives from the frame is identical with that which it derives from the forecarriage, when the front axle is tilted, and this position is that before referred to as the neutral position and is obtained by makin the ratio of the height of the pin and the ei ht of the ball joint equal to the ratio of the istance of the sin from the center of the back axle and the istance of the ball joint from the same.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent isz- A 1`. vIn a motor propelled vehicle of the ty e referred to, a segmental race and rack on tlie vehicle underframe, a slider engaging said race and pivoted on the forecarriage at the neutral osition, a pinion meshing with the rack and fixed on a s indle carried by the slider, a second spindle connected to the former by a universal joint, a worm wheel on is made equal to v the second spindle, a Worm meshing therewith and means for driving the same,l substantially as hereinbefore set forthT 2. In a motor propelled vehicle of the ty e referred to, a segmental race and rack on tiie vehicle under-frame, a slider engaging said race and pivoted on the forecarriage at the neutral position, a pinion meshing with the rack, a spindle for said pinion carried by the slider, a worm wheel on said-spindle, and a worm meshing therewith and means for connecting the samewith the motor mounted on the forecarriage substantially as hereinbefore set forth.l

3. In a motor propelled vehicle of the ty e referred to, a segmental race and rack on t ie vehicle under-frame, a slider engaging said race and pivoted on the forecarriage at the neutral osition, a pinion meshing with the rack and iired on a spindle carried by the slider, a second spindle connected to the former by a universal joint, a worm wheel on the second spindle, a worm meshing therewith and means for connecting the same with the motor mounted on the forecarriage, said `connecting means comprising a clutch and reversing gear substantially as hereinbefore' set forth. l

4; In a motor propelled vehicle of the type referred to, a segmental race and rack on t e vehicle under-frame, a slider engaging said race and pivoted on the fore-carriage at the neutral osition, a pinion meshing with the rack and ed on a spindle'carried by the slider, worm gear for driving'said spindle, means for connecting said worm gear with the motor mounted on the fore-carriage and comprising a clutch and reversing ear, and change speed mechanism mounte on the fore-carriage and adapted to transmit motion from the motor to balance gear on the front road axle, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof I in presence' of two witnesses.

ARTHUR W. .BRIGHTMORE afIiX my signature 

